Yesterday, we talked about how our greatest barrier to experiencing the abundant life God desires for us is our lack of faith. We create barriers, burdens, and excuses that hinder us from experiencing it.
But the power of faith in God will overcome.
He (Jesus) said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.” Matthew 17:20 (ESV)
That is an incredibly bold statement Jesus makes. Moving a mountain would seem like an impossibility. Who could ever move a mountain? I could never do that.
But it is important to understand the context of this verse. Eight miles to the south of Jerusalem, outside of Bethlehem was the Herodian. The Herodian was a fortress built by King Herod. To build this fortress, Herod literally moved a mountain. Through slave labor, he took two small hills and converted them into one great mountain.
It is possible that when Jesus talked about moving the mountains that his original hearers had the Herodian in mind. It might have seemed impossible, but they had seen with their own eyes that it was not impossible to move mountains. It was a monumental task, but not impossible. It involved many years of harsh labor, and it was not accomplished in a day, in a month, or even in a year.
Maybe the mountain you are looking up at seems unmovable. But faith is taking the next step. Maybe you have a dream. It is an impossible dream. But faith is doing that one thing that will get you one step closer to the end goal.
The reason that the mountain seems impossible to move is because we think we need to do it all at once. As Americans, we are so fixed on instant gratification. If our problem is not fixed in a moment, we move on. The mountain is left in its place.
Maybe your marriage needs restoration. It took a long time to get where you are at. You may not be able to turn it around overnight. But faith is not to give up just because you can’t do it all at once. What is that ONE THING you can do to bring you one step closer to restoration?
You want to start a new business as an entrepreneur. You may have so many concerns about how to make that happen that you think it will never happen. But what is ONE ACTION you could take to help you get one step closer to the dream?
The end destination may seem so far out that you have dismissed the possibility. But take ONE STEP today. Then another step tomorrow. A third step the day after that. Then after a few days you look back at how far you have gone – you will be amazed.
Instead of worrying about the 5th and 6th steps, focus on the first step. When the 5th step become the next step, you will likely have much more clarity. In another part of the Gospel of Matthew Jesus said:
Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Matthew 6:34 (ESV)
Do what is possible today. Do what is possible the day after that. Before you know it, what you thought was impossible, will be accomplished.
Questions for Reflection
- What is an unmovable mountain in your life?
- How are mountains moved?
- What is the next step you need to take to move your mountain?
- Share your comments.
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